Morning news headlines: Hunt on for man who beheaded US journalist, GCSE results expected to change, 12% rise in children in care

The latest news from around the globe

A frame from a video released by Islamic State militants that purports to show the killing of journalist James Foley

An international manhunt is under way for a British jihadist believed to have perpetrated the on-screen beheading of American journalist James Foley.

Police and intelligence services are sifting through the gruesome footage for clues amid suggestions that the Islamic State (IS) extremist - referred to in the video as 'John' - is from London.

A former hostage, who was held for a year in the Syrian town of Raqqa, has told the Guardian the killer was the ringleader of a trio of UK-born extremists the captives nicknamed "The Beatles" because of their nationality.

Changes to GCSE results expected

Teenagers are today waking up to their GCSE grades amid indications that some schools are seeing major changes to results.

Early reports suggested that there are particular concerns among some headteachers about English and maths grades.

England's exams regulator, Ofqual, has previously warned that there is likely to be "variability" in individual school results this summer due to the significant alterations to the qualifications.

Suicide tourism numbers double

Suicide tourism is on the rise, experts said after they found that the number of people travelling to Switzerland to take their own lives had doubled in four years.

One in five people who travelled to Zurich for assisted suicide between 2008 and 2012 were from the UK, researchers found.

Experts from the University of Zurich analysed data from the Zurich Institute of Legal Medicine database on assisted suicide of non-Swiss residents during the five year period.

12% rise in children in care

The number of children in council care in England has risen by 12%, with overall costs calculated at £3.4 billion.

There were 68,110 children in care on March 31 2013, including 42,228 who had suffered abuse or neglect.

This figure had risen by 12% or 7,210 in the previous four years, according to figures from the Audit Commission.

Power firms face licence axe

A Labour government would give a new energy regulator the power to revoke energy companies' licences to help protect the interests of the public, the party announced today.

Shadow energy and climate change secretary Caroline Flint accused the Government of presiding over a "broken energy market" and said Labour would hand a tough new regulator the capability to cancel energy companies' licences where there were repeated instances of the most "serious and deliberate breaches of their licence conditions which harm the interests of consumers".

Ms Flint is due to visit the battleground seats of Reading East and Reading West later today where she will speak on the issue.

Obesity increases dementia risk

People who are obese could be putting themselves at risk of dementia in later life, new research suggests.

Patients under the age of 70 who are admitted to hospital for obesity carry a higher risk of developing the condition than those who were not recorded to be obese, experts found.

They found the risk was highest among those with a record of obesity when they are in their 30s.

Salmond in yes vote 'wealth call'

Scotland would be the wealthiest country in the world to become independent if there is a Yes vote in four weeks' time, Alex Salmond has said.

The First Minister made his comments as MSPs gathered at the Scottish Parliament for the final time before the referendum.

Voters in Scotland go to the polls on September 18 to decide if the country should remain part of the UK or not.

Funeral of MH17 victim to be held

The funeral of the first British victim to be identified from the wreckage of Flight MH17 will take place today.

Newcastle United fan Liam Sweeney will be laid to rest after his body was flown back from Ukraine following the tragedy.

The family will be joined at the service by Newcastle manager Alan Pardew, club captain Fabricio Coloccini, managing director Lee Charnley and assistant manager John Carver.

Rise in sexual offences on railways

There has been a big rise in the number of sexual offences on the railways.

There were 1,117 incidents of sexual offences recorded by British Transport Police (BTP) in 2013/14 (the 12 months ending March 2014) - a 20.8% increase on the 925 in 2012/13.

Most of the increase was accounted for by incidents of sexual crime against females, which rose from 485 in 2012/13 to 624 in 2013/14.

Camden memorial for Amy Winehouse

A life-size statue of singer Amy Winehouse will be unveiled in the heart of the London neighbourhood she called home.

The bronze, which shows the Back To Black singer complete with her trademark beehive hairdo and standing with her hand on her hip, will be unveiled on September 14 which would have been her birthday.

Winehouse, who fought a public battle with drink and drugs, was found dead aged 27 at her home in the capital in 2011.

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